Unique
by OokamiHybrid
Summary: Collin finds love and hates the fact she'll never be his, not really. He can't love someone who isn't his imprint. VDay fic for a friend.
1. Prologue

**Unique**

Collin usually went for the typical type - tiny enough that one of his hands could nearly wrap around her waist; flirty eyes, smirking lips. Cunning. They were sly, they were sexy, they were absolute _fiends_. They were the typical girls that every guy went after, that every guy got.

Okay. So maybe they weren't typical, maybe they were sluts. Not that _all_ tiny things were that way, but the ones he tore after were. Most of the time Collin didn't want someone to last longer than the night. They'd have their fun, and the girl would walk - limp - away in the dead of night, his parents none the wiser.

This girl was most definately not typical.

She was unique.

He was reminded of Leah, despite the fact they neither looked nor acted anything alike. Maybe it was because they both had _attitude_ and neither of them really seemed to want anything to do with him. It wasn't that either of them played hard to get...it was that he would actually have to _try_. Collin never really ever had to try.

He more or less _always_ got what he wanted.

Her name was Laura, and when he had stumbled over to her at the beach, instead of "Hey, you" she had said, "You're blocking my sun, sexy."

The smirk on her face had sent cold shivers up his spine, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. _**God damn he wanted her so bad it **__**hurt.**_

He had sat beside her on the sand, allowing an amused smile to flutter onto his face. "You're blocking my sand." He had joked back. She hadn't thought it was funny.

He had learned that day that her name was Laura, she loved dogs, kittens were okay, and she had a mixed heritage. He wished she had been even _part_ Quileute because he wanted her to be his imprint.

It cut deep, liking her so much, so fast, and knowing that any day it could be ripped away from him. What hurt more, was knowing that he couldn't go further; he wouldn't hurt her. So Collin had joked, had told her meaningless things about him, and then had asked her on a date.

He was an idiot, he decided, as he stood by his car waiting for her. He was shuffling nervously, eyes darting around. His ears were focused on the hotel she was staying at, on her room, and he could hear her rushing around. She probably thought he'd leave.

She was only in La Push for a break from family, from life. In less than a month she'd be gone. He learned that on her first date, and thought perhaps it was better that way. She would leave, they wouldn't be in love, and no one would get hurt.

It was three weeks later, their fourteenth date, and it was _fucking valentine's day_. He had got her a necklace, a simple round amber stone on a gold chain. She loved it, and he loved how it matched her eyes. He'd always look out for her, he said.

Laura had laughed, because she was leaving next week. He wouldn't be able to watch her from so far away. He could see the hurt dancing in her eyes, and pushed the laughter away with a kiss.

She had moaned, and he had growled, pushing her back into the hotel room. She went willingly, allowing herself to fall onto the bed; to be ravished. Collin attacked her with a passionate frenzy, lips, teeth and tongue carressing everywhere he could reach, and sometimes, even where he _couldn't._

Their bodies pulsed and throbbed together, rising and falling in perfect synch. They finished together, as they had started together, then collapsed side by side, weak and content. He murmured apologies for the bruises on her hips, and Laura told him that she sort of kinda liked them. He had laughed at that, reaching over the side of the bed to grab his pants.

Her hands stopped his, and that was the first time Collin actually spent a night with a woman; woman, because this Laura was so much more than a girl to him.

She left a week later, taking half of his heart with her.

As she climbed out of her car at the airport, she paused to listen to the mournful howls of a wolf, so close. Her eyes scanned the surrounding area, and she wondered what he was lost. Her fingers curled around the amber necklace as a wave of melancholy hit her.

She pulled her suitcase from the trunk of the rental, scanning the area once more. She wanted to stay but it wasn't her world. She didn't belong in a small town, in the middle of no where, with a man she hardly knew.

Laura took a deep breath to steady herself before turning and walking to the airport. She never told anyone that she cried.

ZZZ

**AN: Well Laupup, I hope you enjoy. Not the best, kinda sad, but Laulau got some smexings, even if they weren't written totally awesome 8D Why do I always have to write sad things? Happy V-Day BB!**


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One

Her heart lurched uncomfortably as she took the key from the lady working reception. The number _A-3_ gleamed mockingly up at her from the tape on her key. Room A-3. Again. _The only available fucking room in the place, and it had to be __**that**__ room._

She had no idea what she was doing there, in La Push. It had been five years since she had first found the place, and five years since she had left it. After her initial visit, she had been sorely tempted to go back.

Collin had pulled her so strongly. What she felt with him had been…really, and she missed it. Still; logic and sanity won over her feelings. Heartache would heal. She couldn't have abandoned school, her family, her _life_ for a man she hardly knew.

But now school was over and her mother had moved away, taking her brother along for the ride. Now she had a step mother who was okay, a dad who was happy, and a degree on her hands. Yet nothing to do.

Buying the plane ticket that would end up with her in La Push had felt like a dream. One minute she'd been drinking wine on her bed, quietly celebrating with herself over her graduation. The next, she was gliding across the room, moving her laptop to her bed, _buying the damned ticket_.

She stared at the piece of paper in her hand, crinkled from her wringing it. The piece of paper her ticket was printed on.

Ticket…she hadn't bought a round trip, because she didn't know when she was going back.

Tossing herself onto her bed, Laura let a heavy sigh. The amber necklace settled by her cheek, and she could feel the coolness of the stone stroking her skin. Turning weary eyes to the small, round gift, she sighed once more.

"I'm an idiot aren't I?" She asked the unresponsive piece of jewellery. "He's got an okay job, some sexy, slinky wife. Maybe he's got kids." She rolled onto her stomach, one arm propping her torso up as the other held the amber before her face. "He's forgotten my name. He doesn't know who I am, or what we did." She said it in a voice full of resignation and self loathing.

Silently, the amber listened on.

ZZZ

_**AN:**_

_**These chapters will indeed be short. I have decided that I like this idea and am going to continue with it. However, I am classifying this particular fic as a "drabble story", meaning that they won't have any significant length to them. This is more to help me get back into the swing of writing things, than anything else. If you don't like short chapters or Anti-Imprint fic, then. Well, sorry.**_

_**Hope you enjoy this Laupup 8)**_


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

She knew she couldn't hide in the hotel forever. She wanted to, was sorely tempted to, but it just wasn't a possibility. Room service wouldn't cut it. Plus, she sort of needed to find a job. Her money wouldn't last forever, and she'd already been in hiding for three days.

_Third time's the charm_, she thought absently, rolling out of bed. She gave a lazy stretch as she slipped her pj's off and her outside clothes on. As she got the door, she wondered if she'd run into _him_.

She sort of knew that it didn't matter. She was certain he'd begun a new life.

She forced herself to open the door, and step outside. She couldn't let fear control her forever.

_She wondered what she was afraid of._

ZZZ

Both the gas station and the grocery store in Forks hadn't had positions open. She silently cursed the "Help Wanted" signs on the doors. She wasn't looking for anything long term, just something to help her get by. Just until she could find a teaching job, nearby or not.

Along the highway, a bristol board sign which looked as if it had been made by a child, caught her eye. The board itself was red, with big black letters aross it. Letters and...rainbows?

She thought it was odd that a sign labeled "Help Wanted - Mechanic; Part Time" had rainbows on it. _Probably someone's kid helping dad out_.

Still; she had helped her dad at his shop before, and wasn't entirely useless. She was pulling her car off to the side before she could even think about it. She drove down the winding road, a sense of unease filling her chest.

The shop was normal looking. Sort of half-assed, actually. She wondered if it got much business.

Laura's heart nearly stopped when she walked through the doors and was greeted by a tall, russet skinned man. A second glance at his face settled her. _No. No, it wasn't him_.

He introduced himself as Jacob and she couldn't hide her sigh of relief.

Jacob quirked an eyebrow at her, looking slightly amused. "Something wrong?"

"No, no. I was ah - worried no one would be here." She lied quickly. "I saw your sign..."

"You know your way around a car?" He interupted, seeming as though he were in a rush.

She nodded at him, lips pressing together in a thin line. "More or less. I can learn anything I don't already know. If you're willing to teach me." She added, not wanting to come off as rude.

He nodded slowly, lips curving into a lazy grin. "Sure, sure. We'll teach. It's just part time for now, sort of 'on call'."

"You don't want my resume?"

"No. No, it's fine. The girls'll be happy we've got a lady working here." He laughed, clapped her shoulder, nearly toppled her over. The grin grew wider, a little embarressed. "Oops."

The door jingled lightly behind her as Laura straightened her body out once more. Jacob's breath caught, and silence fell across the room.

_Thud_.

She was aware of a cool wetness on the back of her leg, and she jerked in reaction. Twisting quickly, she spun to face _whatever_ it was that just soaked her _good_ boots.

"Laura?"

The jug of milk had been half empty before he had dropped it, but now it was all gone and really, _who the hell walks around drinking milk out of a jug, Je-_

_"_Collin?"

Her voice sounded far away, even to her, as she stared at the reason she had come back. She knew then, what she was afraid of.

That maybe her reality from before had all been a dream.

_He isn't wearing a ring._

Collin took a step forward.


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

No one would ever know _what_ had compelled Collin to pinch _Paul_ of all people in the ass. No one except for Collin, that is. See, being a shape shifting man wolf brought a certain level of...pain tollerance. Pinching himself wouldn't have had any effect. He wouldn't even feel it. Paul punching him in the face hard enough to break his nose? He felt that. He _definately_ felt that. So he knew he wasn't dreaming.

Still. He popped his broken nose back into place, just for the added pain. To make absolute certain that he wasn't dreaming. The blood covering his hand confirmed it; No. No, he wasn't dreaming. She was really there.

Standing close enough that he could see the fear and uncertainty in her eyes. Close enough that he could smell her, reach out to her if he wanted. Close enough that he noticed the necklace she was wearing, his stone touching the top of her breasts.

Paul was standing on the other side of the small shop, he noticed. _Probably to avoid some more ass groping._ He pondered, absently shaking his foot in an attempt to dislodge the milk he had spilt.

"Laura." He repeated, hearing the wonder in his own voice. Without thinking, he reached for her. His fingers curled around the amber, warm from her touch. He imagined he could feel their pulses; both his and hers. Strumming through the amber, the _only_ tangible thing that had tied them together for the last five years. The only thing besides memories of soft skin, silky hair, quiet moans. Of laughter and hand holding, of actually being _happy_.

He pulled her forward by the necklace, shivering deeply as her chest brushed his. She was tilting her head back, just the slightest bit - damn she was tall - staring into his eyes.

She didn't look afraid anymore.

More than anything, he wanted to kiss her. He didn't though. Being a wolf had taught him some pretty good self restraint, and he wasn't about to startle her. He wouldn't be able to handle it if she ran away again.

_She didn't run away before. She had a life_. He told himself. He knew that he had had his own life too, and that maybe it had been for the best. He had grown a lot in the past five years.

Jacob broke his train of thought, "So this is _the_ Laura?"

"'The' Laura?" She asked, turning to stare at Collin's alpha. A growl worked its way from his throat when Jacob's eyes slide over her body.

The alpha looked at him in surprise. Collin ignored it.

"Laura..."

"I think you and I need to talk." Her hand grasped the wrist holding her necklace. Instead of pushing him away, she merely gave him a soft, reassuring squeeze.

"Jacob?" Collin rumbled softly. Asking his alpha if it was all right.

Jacob crossed his arms and smiled lightly. "I'm not Sam, Collin. Go do what you have to do."

Laura had never heard of Sam, but she supposed it didn't really matter. Collin was there, and by the look in his eyes - "Wait. Do I still have the job?"

Jacob laughed loudly and clapped her once more on the shoulder. This time, Collin was there to balance her. She didn't topple over. Jacob's eyes were warm and soft as he smiled at her. "Of course, Laura." His voice had...something in it, something she couldn't recognize. He squeezed her lightly, looking past her at Collin. "Of course."

The man holding her chain shivered, a smile slipping onto his own face. She had no idea what had just happened.

Her foot was still soggy.


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Collin seemed happy, even if he wasn't saying anything. Something about Jacob, she was certain, had made this boy look ridiculously, stupidly happy. Well, Jacob and her. They were walking still - silent, had hadn't spoken a word - out into the woods.

"Sorry. About the walking, and the milk. I just want some privacy." He told her quietly, as he settled on a fallen tree. She rolled her eyes from the canopy of the once mighty plant, down to the break. Nearly in the middle. No scorch marks, so it wasn't lightening...before she could contemplate it further, Collin grabbed her hand and pulled her a few steps closer.

When he was sitting, she was taller. It felt...empowering, to stand of this boy - man. He tilted his head back to watch her, eyes full of...something.

"You came back." He still sounded awe struck.

"I had to." She was practically whispering, watching as his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Why?"

"Because I had to know what...what happened to you." Her hand stroked some hair back from his face before settling on his cheek. "If you grew up. Went to school, got married. If you had kids." Her voice held a sort of urgency to it, one that drew his gaze from her lips and to her eyes. "In all the years I've been gone, I haven't had a steady boyfriend. A few flings, sure, but none of them were _Collin_. I had to know."

"I grew up. I finished school, but no college for me. Jake and Paul taught me about cars. I'm not married. I don't have kids. I don't even have a girlfriend." His turned his head against her head, pressed his lips to her wrist. "Laura..."

"Don't. Please, not yet. I just got back, Collin."

"Okay." He said simply, standing and hooking an arm around her shoulders. "I'd offer you my shoes, but they'd be kind of big." He looked down, grinned. "Also, I'm not wearing any."

Laughter bubbled up inside her chest, and she shook her head before resting it against his side. "That's okay. You can take my out for dinner to say sorry."

Looking thoughtful, Collin nodded. "You really should go get some hours from Jake though." He tapped a finger to his nose, lips pursed as he hummed. "And I have _just_ the perfect place."

What Collin _didn't_ know was that Emily and Sam's house was _not_ going to be the perfect place to bring his long lost fling for dinner. It was the absolute _worst_ place. If only Collin had gone to Jacob first, before deciding it. Because then he would have known that imprints don't take kindly to non imprint couples, and that Leah wasn't going to be impressed.

Paul, years later, would tell Collin that sometimes you had to learn lessons on your own.

Still, Collin _really_ wished someone had given him some warning, because that dinner did not go well. At all.

ZZZ

An: Yes, short. I suck. I know. Like I said, these chapters will be short. And yes I will be posting the dinner up soon. It'll be the next chapter, promise. Also it will be longer than this.


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Emily stared at the new girl in awe. She wasn't russet skinned like them, but she wasn't white. She was tanned but...she didn't look like them. Curiously, she turned her gaze to Collin. A dopey smile had settled upon the wolf's face, and he looked ecstatic. Beside Emily, Kim vibrated with happiness. A new imprint was _exactly_ what they needed. It sure as hell would help with the cooking, if anything.

"Whose this, Collin?" Emily asked sweetly, settling her plate of muffins on the table as quietly as possible. The new girl – nearly as tall as Leah – cocked an eyebrow and peered up at Collin.

"This is my friend, Laura. You know." He shrugged helplessly, grin turning from dopey to sheepish. He watched Emily's hesitant, friendly smile fall into a mask of...nothingness.

"Laura? I thought she was gone."

"_She_ is standing right here and can totally speak for herself, you know?" Laura interrupted, eyebrows at her hair line as she stared at the scarred woman. Her first thought was that perhaps the lady was pretty. Her unscarred portion of her face certainly was. At the moment though, Laura wasn't so certain.

"Right..." Kim muttered, turning and retreating back to the kitchen.

Emily snorted softly, a noise that wasn't heard from her unless one of the boys – or Leah – had smashed something in her house. "Oh? Really? Well unfortunately Laura, I wasn't talking to you." Emily's voice was deceptively quiet and sweet.

Laura smiled, showing teeth. In the corner, Seth bristled and curled his own lips back. Laura didn't understand what the hell _his_ problem was, but she didn't push it. The guy was huge. "No, just talking about me. Collin said he had the perfect place for dinner, didn't realize we would be being served by _bitches_."

Leah snorted in the other room, choking on her bottle of coke. The shewolf sauntered through the door, coughing and still slightly oozing brown sticky pop from her nose. "You know, if she wasn't who she was, I think I'd like her." She chirped at Collin, voice scratchy from her near coke related death experience.

Collin's brow furrowed and he slipped forward. Not standing in front of Laura, but ahead of her, to the side. "I thought you _would_ like her." His voice was strained as he looked around at his pack. They hadn't acted that violently to _Seth's_ girlfriend.

Leah pulled a face and shrugged, spitting some excess coke into the sink.

"Look Collin, you're hot and all." Laura clapped her hand against his ass, pulling his attention back to her. "But I don't have to put up with this shit." She said cheerily. "So I'm going to walk back to my hotel and you can tell Jake to shove his jo-"

A hand curled over her mouth and lips pressed to the back of her head. "Tell Jake to what?" The alpha asked, amusement in his voice. "Better not be tellin' Jakey to shove his job up his ass, cause it wouldn't fit and we need a pretty face to get more men in the shop."

From behind his hand, Laura asked "Isn't your ass pretty enough?"

Jacob roared with laughter and let her go, patting her atop the head. "I'm not Sam." He told his pack, rather than just Collin alone. "And I'm not going to deal with this. Be nice."

He could practically hear Emily grinding her teeth.

And if Emily poured so much pepper onto Laura's plate that she couldn't eat and went home starving, well, that was an accident. That Collin spent his hard earned money buying his..._old fling_ some dinner, well that was an accident.

And Kim would vouch for her, too.


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Laura wasn't talking to Collin. It wasn't that she was angry at _him_, she was just angry in general. She couldn't get over the way the other girls – Emily and Kim – had treated her. Even Leah, who Collin had always spoken so fondly of, had been a righteous bitch. She didn't know what the hell their problem was, and she didn't really want to find out.

Still, she wasn't talking to Collin. If his friends hated her so much, he'd eventually start to. Past experiences had shown her that friendship sometimes won out over love, especially with guys. Someone better would come along, someone prettier. Well fuck that.

She knew she wouldn't be angry at him long, but for now, she just wanted to be left alone. She wasn't particularly wounded by the other girl's behaviour, more like insanely furious. She didn't want to say anything to Collin that she might regret later, that was all.

Laura took a deep breath and let out a ragged sigh, reaching for the door of the shop. It was her first day. Fan-fucking-tastic.

"You know the door doesn't bite, right?" Jacob asked from behind her, a good natured grin on his face. He reached over her shoulder to pull it open, chest against her back. She wondered what the hell they were putting in the water to make all these boys so damned huge.

"Yeah, I know."

"And you know Collin doesn't bite, right? Emily and Kim do, but Collin only bites when he's asked to." He flashed another grin her way, walking through the door. Didn't hold it open for her. Somehow, his carefree attitude brought a smile to her own face. She pulled the door open and slipped inside.

No one else was there yet, and that suited her just fine. "I'm not worried about Collin's teeth Jake." She didn't know why or how she felt so comfortable talking to a complete stranger, especially one that seemed so close to Emily and Kim, but oh well. Shit happened.

"No you'd probably like it if he bit you." Jake joked back, stripping his clean shirt off in favour of a grease stained one. To her credit, Laura only stared for a second. "Emily got her scars for a reason, Laura. It's not that she hates you, it's just that it's easier to be mean to you. When people around here fall in love or whatever, they get hurt. Take it from me." He slung a friendly arm around her shoulder, squeezing her to his side in a hug.

"Still if you go through life being scared of _every little thing_, you don't end up living." Laura sighed wistfully, patting Jacob on the back.

He released her, dragging a tool box from a shelf and opening it up. "I know that. That's why I'm not bothering to be mean to you. Collin's gonna do whatever Collin wants to do, unless I tell him not to." Seeing her confused look, he shrugged. "It's a long story. Anyway." He sighed "Just ignore everyone else. It's what I try to do."

"Try to do?"

"Yeah well, when you have as much control as I do, it's hard to pretend they don't exist. I rely on them, they rely on me. We're family. You don't have to like 'em but you have to love 'em."

Thinking of her own family, Laura snorted. "I hear that."

"Yep. So stop taking it out on Collin. He was fucked enough when you left the first time but now that you're here, and ignoring him. It's killing him. So knock it off." Lightly, he cuffed her in the side of the head, before ruffling her hair.

She shot him a vicious glare, complete with dog like growl as she tried to finger comb it back into place. "Yeah, well I'm pissed off right now, so sue me."

"I don't think I'd win that court case." He paused. "Look, Laura. Hate Emily, hate Kim. But don't take your hate on them out on Collin because he doesn't deserve that. He's been waiting a long time to see you again, and you're hurting him really bad right now and I don't like seeing my brother hurt. It's not fair to him and it's not fair to you. I know you missed him too."

"You don't really know anything." She shot back.

"I know more than you think I do, sweetheart. So take it from me, okay? It's not worth it to be angry at him. Do what you two can for now, before something changes."

"Before what changes, Jacob?" She cocked an eyebrow.

Jacob smiled again, not looking at her. He kept his eyes firmly focused on the car he was working with. "I don't know, Laura. I don't know."


End file.
